


Hidden Oasis

by rebelling_against_a_rebellion



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Lives, Akira needs a hug, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boys Kissing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fireflies, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, M/M, Nature, Persona 5 Spoilers, Post-Canon, Self-Indulgent, Small Towns, countryside
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25534267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebelling_against_a_rebellion/pseuds/rebelling_against_a_rebellion
Summary: While on a cross-country road trip across Japan, the former Phantom Thieves make a stop to check out Akira's hometown in the countryside for a few days. One night, Akira sneaks Goro off to show him a secret place that's been there for him for as long as he could remember.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 4
Kudos: 156





	Hidden Oasis

**Author's Note:**

> This is merely to fill the Persona 5: Scramble sized hole in my heart until we get an English release date. And also because I don't see a lot of fics involving fireflies so why not?

A child-like giddiness filled Akira in a way that he hadn't felt in years as he snuck out his old bike from the garage of his childhood home. The humidity of early July was lessening as it approached dusk, the last streaks of pink and purple highlighted the horizon, the dying light streaming into the back alleyway where Goro awaited him. 

"Where are you taking me out so late?" Goro asked. Akira had snuck himself and Goro out of the hotel that they were staying at shortly after eight o'clock at night. It was a good thing that Akira snagged a room just for the two of them so Akira wouldn't have to worry about his other friends, especially Morgana, questioning why they're going out so late by themselves after they had eaten dinner and went to the local bathhouse earlier that evening.

"It's a secret," Akira said. "It's a special place of mine that I want to show you."

Akira could already tell by Goro's wary eyes that he didn't trust the bike that he had rolled out. It was an older bike with a metal bike rack over the back wheel, the red paint weathered from years of lack of use.

"Couldn't we just walk there?" Goro suggested.

"Sure, technically we could walk, but it would take a bit longer since it's a little ways out," Akira mounted the bike. The metal frame was small for his now taller body from when he last rode the thing in middle school, but he'll be able to ride it. "Just sit on the rack and hold on."

"You sure this isn't going to break on us?" Goro asked as he inspected the sturdiness of the bike rack.

Akira shrugged. "Probably not?"

"That is not at all comforting."

"C'mon, you coming or not?"

Goro sighed. "Very well," he sat down on the metal rack behind Akira and wrapped his arms around Akira's torso.

Akira patted Goro's hands gently. "Come on, I've got driving experience, you know."

"Ramming headfirst into Shadows in Mementos does not count as driving," Goro replied. "That's why Makoto's the main driver for this road trip."

"Fine, I'll concede on that point for now," Akira began to pedal the bike to a slow start. "Then again, you don't need a license to ride a bike, so your point is invalid."

Once Akira got the bike going, he rode them out of the small back alleyway and started traveling the route that he knew by muscle memory at this point. Leaving the smaller roads of the residential area that sat near the edge of town, the path changed from pavement to gravel. Some rice paddy fields rolled by on their right as the green sprouts peeked out of the still, shallow water. The sky was nearly dark now with the last light of the sun coloring the horizon a deep purple. The chirps of crickets were more noticeable out here without the sound of passing traffic to drown out their nightly song. Akira turned a corner at the far edge of the rice paddy fields so that the crops were on their right while the treeline of a nearby forest was on their left.

"Hmm," Akira heard his boyfriend behind him and his back got warm as Goro pressed the side of his head against his back.

"You getting sleepy already?" Akira asked. "I do agree that this small town's boring, but I didn't think you'd be _that_ bored."

"On the contrary, I'm enjoying this. I'm just taking it all in," Goro said. "Having all this open space is certainly different from what I'm used to considering that I grew up in Tokyo my whole life. You get used to cramped living situations and being packed into public transit. But having all this open space, not being surrounded by people all the time, I like it. It's quite relaxing."

Yes, it makes sense why people would view the countryside that way. Perhaps he was able to see that idealized version of small town life that outsiders have of the place now that he'd been away for a while. Then again, this town held less pleasant memories for him that outweighed the beautiful nature that had surrounded him all his life.

"We're nearly there," Akira slowed his approach as the rice paddy fields on their right disappeared behind them and he turned closer to the treeline on their left.

"Why only me though? Wouldn't the others be interested in seeing this place if it's that special to you?" Goro asked as they both got off the bike, their feet crunching on the gravel road.

Akira leaned the bike against a nearby tree. "I know they'd like it, but it's a sort of personal place for me."

"You're making this sound like a secret club of sorts," Goro smiled.

"It kind of is, if it were only a club with one member," Akira peered into the trees. "Like I said, it's a sort of secret place that I'd retreat to ever since I was young. Plus, it's a good spot to see some fireflies. It's a good time of year for them too."

"Hold on," Goro stepped closer to him. "Do you mean to say that you've _never_ taken anyone else to this place? Not even while you grew up here?"

"...No. You're the only one," Akira turned on the flashlight of his cell phone and looked at Goro. "I mean, it ain't no jazz club like your safe place back in Tokyo, but I think you'll like it." Akira took Goro's hand and led him inside using the weak beam of light to guide their way once they pushed through the wall of brambling bushes at the edge of the road.

They hiked forward until Akira heard the bubbling trickle of the small creek that ran through this forest. He followed the familiar sound deeper into the trees. He was relieved to see that there hadn't been a lot of activity out here. No cigarette butts or beer cans or other questionable items left behind by bored teenagers looking to get away from the dullness of living in a town where not a lot happened. Not until his arrest, at least.

The cheerful bubbling of the creek greeted them when Akira arrived in a clearing that he hadn't stepped foot in for a while. When he first discovered this place back in elementary school, the place seemed almost magical to him, especially with how the thicker trees surrounded the clearing as if guarding the space, protecting it from the outside world. The shallow, rocky creek gently meandered through one side of the clearing with patches of long grass growing close to the water. Most of the clearing that wasn't by the creek had short grass with stray wildflowers scattered across the area leaving a faint, floral scent that filled the space. It was miraculous that this place, one that he discovered as a young child that accidentally got lost while exploring the forest by himself, remained untouched by human influence.

"It's so beautiful," Goro breathed as he surveyed the space by Akira's side.

"Yeah. It sure is," Akira lied down on his back in the middle of the grassy clearing with Goro following suit, snuggling his head against Akira's shoulder. Their fingers loosely intertwined as they stared up above the clearing, basking under the stars twinkling against the deep, dark blue of the night sky. Now that they were away from major cities, more of the stars could be seen, layers of the galaxies shimmering endlessly over their heads like a series of glittering blankets.

"I've never seen this many stars before," Goro said.

"One of the few perks of being outside the city, I suppose," Akira mumbled.

Goro's slender fingers, no longer wearing those leather gloves, lightly brushed his cheek turning his attention from the sky to Goro's warm, auburn eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "What's with this underlying bitterness that I'm sensing in you?"

"Can't turn off your detective brain, huh?" Akira rolled onto his side to face Goro who mirrored his movements. Akira's fingers mindlessly fiddled with the grass on the ground. "It's just, it feels strange. Being back in town. It's the same place I grew up in, yet it feels different from how I remember it."

"Different how?"

"I guess it's different in a good way, though that might just be because I've had some time away from this town. Unlike before, I'm back with friends, have some confidence in myself for saving the world, and all while getting back into our normal lives. As normal as they could be, anyway."

"Yes, because someone like you managing to save all the money that you did to rent a small place in Tokyo is totally normal for a high schooler," Goro said knowingly.

Akira shrugged. "I mean, fighting Shadows and selling the treasures we found in Mementos did help along with the part-time jobs that I had. I simply took advantage of that opportunity to save up."

When he realized how badly he wanted to stay in Tokyo to avoid returning to his hometown, he saved up all the money that he could over several months during their time as Phantom Thieves. Near the end of his probation period, once the world was saved and Mementos was destroyed, he convinced his parents to let him stay in Tokyo for one more year with the excuse being that it would only make sense to finish his schooling at Shujin and graduate there. He suspected that the only reason that his parents let him do so was that it meant not having to face or apologize to their son for demonizing him for a crime he didn't commit. They're too prideful to humble themselves like that.

"Still, going to Mementos by yourself to do that was a terrible idea," Goro said. "But, I suppose you were truly desperate to get away from your parents, weren't you?"

Akira nodded. Even now when he was back in his hometown, both of his parents were away for work. Akira insisted on staying in a hotel instead of his childhood home despite it being available for them all to sleep at with his spare house key. He just didn't feel comfortable entering there unless he had to.

"What were things like before?" Goro asked. Akira realized that even after he and Goro started living together in Akira's little apartment, he hadn't talked about his childhood home that much. The most that Goro knew so far was that Akira's parents were away a lot and that it sucked. The beauty of his hometown was apparent to all that visited, but for Akira, he could only see the moments that had hurt him, made him feel alone, even before he was forcibly sent to Tokyo for his probation.

Goro's voice softened. "Sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine. You should know."

Akira took a breath and began to talk. "I wanted to break free from this town for a while, since around middle school. I was well-liked in elementary school, but once my grandparents died when I started middle school, I had a hard time making friends as I was suddenly considered the quiet, creepy one."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, it's been a few years now," Akira stared at the grass. "It was hard at the time though because since my parents were away for work most of the time, it was my grandparents who truly raised me. Without them, I just sorta shut down, unable to talk for a while. It didn't help that the few times that my parents were around were times filled with nothing but harsh reprimands about my behavior, my dipping grades, or how I should try to make friends. I ended up preferring the times that they weren't around because at least then, I wouldn't have to face their critiques. With the quiet and the free time I had, I was able to teach myself some things, if only to keep myself occupied and fed."

"So that's how you're able to pick up different skills so easily. You had to learn out of necessity."

Akira continued. "What made my feelings of loneliness even worse was when I just managed to make friends at the end of my first year in high school. It was terrible timing as that was shortly before I ran into Shido. During my trial and arrest period, those few friends that I barely managed to get ghosted me with little fanfare. Not even my parents believed me when I told them what really happened. That betrayal of trust was the loneliest that I had ever been since my grandparents died."

"Akira..." Goro wrapped his arms around him and pulled him closer. 

"Sorry. Didn't mean to kill the mood. This was supposed to be fun, I ended up putting a downer on-"

Goro wrapped his arms tighter around him and he pressed soft kisses against the frizzy curls of his head. Chills ran along his back as Goro's slender fingers slowly caressed his spine and shoulders. Akira let himself melt into the embrace and snuggled his face into the crook of Goro's neck, letting the gentle touch and the smell of generic soap from the local bathhouse they were at earlier wash over him. They stayed like that for a few minutes, letting nature fill the air with the surrounding ambient sound of chirping crickets and the nearby creek.

"Feeling any better?" Goro whispered.

"A little," Akira mumbled against Goro's collarbone. He pulled away to face him. "I mean, I shouldn't complain. It's not like I've got the most tragic backstory ever."

Goro shook his head with a small, knowing smile before his face became serious again with steady auburn eyes holding his attention. "Just because I had things worse doesn't mean that your suffering is something that should be brushed aside. My life wasn't the happiest of situations to begin with, so I naturally grew to expect pain and bad things to happen to me. It was something that I got used to. You, on the other hand, had a relatively decent childhood only to have everything fall apart around you. Anyone would have a hard time with such a drastic change."

Akira looked up at the sky, then took another look around the clearing. "At least this place hasn't changed. During times that I was upset or felt lonely, like when my grandparents died or during whatever free time I was allowed to roam around before my probation period, I always find my way back here becasue how it remained the same despite what was going on, a safe and peaceful place. This place was here during the times that I needed it."

"Yes, it is quite a lovely place to be away from the world for a bit," Goro agreed.

"It could be your safe place too, ya know?" Akira offered.

"I appreciate the gesture, but I think I've found my place already."

"Yeah, I know. The jazz club in Kichijoji."

Goro shakes his head. "No. It's at that tiny, cramped apartment of yours that's become my home."

Akira rolled his eyes. "Aren't I supposed to be the cheesy one here?"

"Really, Akira," Goro's fingers interlaced with his own. "There's a lot that I could say, but you don't know how much your presence in my life means to me. No longer am I stuck in the role of Metaverse assassin or the Detective Prince. I could just be a normal teenager who knows way too much Featherman trivia and is still learning to cook with his boyfriend as his guide. That's because even with all the hell you've been through, you remained firm with your hopeful pursuit of justice, not letting the world turn you cyncial towards the idea of hope for positive change. With you, I can let my guard down, feel safe, and be myself thanks to you."

Akira smiled "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

With gentle smiles on both of their faces, they closed the distance and their lips met. The kiss was gentle and chaste, but it made Akira moan softly against his boyfriend's lips nonetheless. The smell of the wildflowers around them, the lingering taste of the sweet mints they took from the restaurant after their dinner, the sound of the creek bubbling along cheerily, all these sensations came together in a dizzying spell that filled Akira with happiness. They finally parted with soft pants as Goro's warm eyes melted Akira's insides.

Goro blinked as he noticed something. He leaned back, careful not to make a sound.

"Hold still," Goro whispered as he carefully pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"What?" Akira then felt something crawling from the side of his head to his cheek. "What's on me?"

The phone clicked as Goro snapped a photo of Akira, then showed Akira what he had captured. "These two were quite sneaky, I'll give them that."

There was Akira, his brows crinkled in confusion, and two glowing yellow dots. Fireflies. One was nestled among his frizzy hair, the other resting on his cheek.

Akira lightly shook his head and saw the two fireflies on him linger nearby for a moment before they floated away, their blinking yellow lights venturing into the trees. Both he and Goro sat up and got a better look around. The sight around them was breathtaking. More fireflies, their yellow lights blinking lazily as they floated around them. Both were quiet as time stood still, leaning on each other's shoulders as they sat and watched the enchanting lights dance around them.

They stayed still as some fireflies floated towards them. A firefly landed on Goro's nose, who tensed up and stared cross-eyed at the little bug. The yellow light from the bug illuminated the front of Goro's face.

"Okay, now _you_ stay still," Akira whipped out his phone and quickly snapped a photo, just in time before the firefly flew off, and showed his photo to Goro.

"It just _had_ to land on my nose of all places," Goro sighed. "I was concerned that it would crawl into my nose or something!"

Akira giggled. "I think it found your nose cute," Akira leaned in and rubbed their noses together, grinning when it got a small giggle out of Goro.

"Well, we got our cute photos of us with some wild fireflies. You wanna head back?" Akira asked.

"Later," Goro said. "I'd like to stay for a bit, watch the fireflies some more."

Akira smiled and their lips met again in another soft kiss. "Yeah, me too. I don't wanna leave this place quite yet either." Akira and Goro lied down to stare skywards once again. The fireflies above them flickered amongst the stars, a magical sight that felt like it was just for them.


End file.
